Lack of centrosomes limits the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human mammary cells
- 1European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
Abstract
As the main microtubule network organisers of animal cells, centrosomes orchestrate diverse cellular processes. Centrosomes have been linked to cancer when numerically or structurally aberrant, yet their precise roles at different cancer stages remains to be defined. Here, we study centrosome function in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key driver of cancer initiation, progression and metastasis. We first depleted centrosomes in a breast cancer mesenchymal-like model, resulting in insignificant cellular or nuclear rearrangements. We then investigated non-carcinogenic breast cells undergoing the EMT via TGF{beta} signalling, and removed the centrosomes before triggering this transition. Stimulated epithelial cells acquired a mesenchymal phenotype and rearranged their cytoskeleton. By contrast, stimulated cells lacking centrosomes retained epithelial morphology, showed little cytoskeletal remodelling, yet still altered nuclear shape and upregulated key EMT markers. Transcriptome analysis revealed reduced expression of important genes involved in extracellular matrix organisation and a downregulation of cell junction components when lacking centrosomes; further analysis revealed paxillin showing reduced colocalisation with actin focal adhesions. Centrosomes thus prove essential for cytoskeletal remodelling in the EMT of breast cancer cells.
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BibTeX
@misc{pigazzini2026lack,
title = {{Lack of centrosomes limits the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human mammary cells}},
author = {M. L. Pigazzini and J. M. Tocci and M. Boulanger and F. E. Jung and V. Benes and I. Hoffmann and N. Banterle},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.18.752689},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.18.752689v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Lack of centrosomes limits the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human mammary cells
AU - M. L. Pigazzini
AU - J. M. Tocci
AU - M. Boulanger
AU - F. E. Jung
AU - V. Benes
AU - I. Hoffmann
AU - N. Banterle
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/18
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.18.752689
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.18.752689v1
AB - As the main microtubule network organisers of animal cells, centrosomes orchestrate diverse cellular processes. Centrosomes have been linked to cancer when numerically or structurally aberrant, yet their precise roles at different cancer stages remains to be defined. Here, we study centrosome function in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key driver of cancer initiation, progression and metastasis. We first depleted centrosomes in a breast cancer mesenchymal-like model, resulting in insignificant cellular or nuclear rearrangements. We then investigated non-carcinogenic breast cells undergoing the EMT via TGF{beta} signalling, and removed the centrosomes before triggering this transition. Stimulated epithelial cells acquired a mesenchymal phenotype and rearranged their cytoskeleton. By contrast, stimulated cells lacking centrosomes retained epithelial morphology, showed little cytoskeletal remodelling, yet still altered nuclear shape and upregulated key EMT markers. Transcriptome analysis revealed reduced expression of important genes involved in extracellular matrix organisation and a downregulation of cell junction components when lacking centrosomes; further analysis revealed paxillin showing reduced colocalisation with actin focal adhesions. Centrosomes thus prove essential for cytoskeletal remodelling in the EMT of breast cancer cells.
ER -